Instagram has crossed 3 billion monthly active users, joining Facebook and WhatsApp at this major milestone. For all the talk about it “dying,” the platform remains deeply embedded in culture and continues to grow.

Instagram will soon launch a new Shareable Insights feature for its video editing app, Edits.

LinkedIn is running a pilot program curating a set of AI tools designed to help professionals across categories like Development/Coding, Design/Marketing, and Career Coaching.

At its Made On YouTube event, YouTube announced over $100 billion in payouts to creators, artists, and media companies, alongside 30+ updates across shopping, brand deals, AI creation tools, podcasts, live streaming, and music.

At Meta Connect, Meta announced several new smart glasses and metaverse technologies. Along with a second generation of its flagship Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and the Oakley Meta Vanguard designed for athletes, it revealed the Meta Ray-Ban Display, a new category of smart glasses featuring an in-lens display.

Google is updating the Discover feed in its Search app. In the coming weeks, users will see more creator-driven content, including Instagram posts, X posts, YouTube Shorts, as well as traditional articles and stories. Google says more platforms will be added, with my predictions being TikTok, LinkedIn, and Substack content as next.

The creator marketing industry is set to hit $500 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. The sheer amount of money flowing into the space reflects the impact creators are having on businesses today and their growing influence on purchase decisions across every demographic.

LinkedIn has upgraded its analytics with two new metrics for creators: Saves and Sends.

Back in August, Kajabi announced a major milestone – it has paid out $10 billion to creators, just months after hitting the $9 billion threshold, 100% of which has gone directly to creators.

Instagram has officially launched a native iPad app, which has long an afterthought for the platform.

LinkedIn announced a new integration with CapCut, the ByteDance-owned video editing app. In a LinkedIn post, Lakshman Somasaunder, Senior Director of Product at LinkedIn: Video, Games, and Moonshots, along with Ramya Kedlaya, Senior Product Manager at LinkedIn - Video, shared the update.

Here's a framework for a phased UGC strategy that maps consumer psychology, content types, and campaign objectives to every stage of the Black Friday to New Year shopping journey.